SIA Brain Awareness Foundation, Inc.
REMEMBERING
SIA CHRISTINE YORKER
Born at Bethesda Naval Medical Center on July 15, 1991, Sia Christine Yorker was a radiant soul who truly adored God and acted as a natural magnet for everyone she met. With a camera often in her hand and a heart dedicated to children, Sia’s vibrant spirit shone through her volunteer work and her leadership as a soccer captain and mentor at Pine Ridge High School. She was a young woman of ambition and grace, having just achieved her dream of being accepted into the Medical Program at the University of Florida to become a pediatrician.
Sia’s life was a beautiful tapestry of passions—from the theater and travel to her famous love for high heels and quiet moments on the beach. Though her journey on earth ended far too soon on June 21, 2011, following a sudden brain hemorrhage, her legacy remains a powerful force of inspiration. While our hearts ache, we find our greatest peace in the promise of her faith: that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Her 19 years were a gift, and we are eternally rewarded by the way her light continues to propel others toward hope and progress.
MEET THE
YORKER FAMILY
Paula E. Yorker
Founder & Executive Director
Sia Foundation
Paula E. Yorker is the Founder & Executive Director of the Sia Yorker Brain Awareness Scholarship Foundation, an Ordained Minister, and Christian Counselor at Mackie and Pammie, LLC. She is the wife of Albert T. Yorker and mother of Princess Sia Christine Yorker. Paula holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Pastoral Leadership, an Associate Degree in Theology, and a Master of Religious Arts.
As a mother who lost her daughter to a brain hemorrhage, and as a healthcare professional certified as an Alzheimer’s Disease Dementia Care Trainer, Dementia Care Manager, and Dementia Practitioner, Paula is deeply committed to raising awareness and educating communities about brain hemorrhages and other adverse brain conditions.
Paula and her husband, Al, frequently lead Evangelism Workshops and Think Big Brain Awareness seminars throughout the United States and internationally. She ministers, leads mission trips, and serves as a keynote speaker on topics including Evangelism & Discipleship, Intercessory Prayer, Inner Healing, Restoration, Grief Support, and Brain Awareness.
She has spoken at the University of Florida McKnight Brain Institute, the Minister Prayer Network Apostolic Conference in Nigeria, Brazil, and the United States, as well as the Charisma Conference. Paula has also been featured in Charisma Magazine, Spirit Led Women, and Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN). She is the author of What Do You Do in the Midst of a Suddenly?
Paula is also a Covenant Partner at Trinity Church of Deltona, where she serves alongside her husband leading the Christ-centered grief support group Rising Above It All. In addition, she mentors women ages 18–40 through Young Women in Pursuit of God, helping them grow in faith, purpose, prayer, and spiritual maturity through biblical teaching and discipleship.
Albert T. Yorker
Director of Community Outreach & Treasurer
Sia Foundation
Albert, a retired United States Army veteran, retired nurse, and Bachelor of Religious Arts graduate has been an associate pastor with his wife Paula for many years. Albert's purpose as the Sia Yorker Brain Awareness Foundation's Public Relations Director is to foster collaboration with community, consumer, and public interest groups. Plan and organize public appearances, lectures, contests, and exhibitions for Brain Awareness Workshops, Seminars, and Conferences, as well as keeping the public and supporting partners up to date on the organization's progress and agenda.
Consult with advertising firms and board members to plan fund-raising activities and buy advertising space and time as needed to promote awareness of brain hemorrhages and other serious brain disorders.
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Albert traveled to India, Indonesia, Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Ethiopia, Brazil, and other nations to provide spiritual direction, food, housing, and Bibles to many small towns who receive little aid from local governments. He also coordinates numerous activities, such as back-to-school backpack events for children, and he and his wife Paula have been on Trinity Broadcast Network (TBN).
​​Albert is a Covenant partner at Trinity Church of Deltona and serves on the board of directors, which is led by Pastors Jamie and Michelle Jones. Al oversees the Trinity Church Deltona Prison Ministry and, with his wife Paula, co-facilitates the All Biblical Christ-Centered Grief Share Support Group "Rising Above It All".
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